Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria have been waiting in Africa for the penguins to fly them to New York City, but after initially flying away to Monte Carlo, the penguins never returned. So, this time around, the group must travel to Monte Carlo, find the mischievous penguins and return back home to the New York City zoo.

Upon crashing through the roof of the casino in the Hotel De Paris, the group of zoo animals gets chased by French police inspector Capt. Chantel Dubois (Francis McDormand). To avoid capture, the animals join a traveling circus that intends to perform in animals' home city of New York.

Will the animals get back home before being caught by Dubois?

"Madagascar 3" is a fast-paced, hilarious and colorful piece of entertainment that will delight children and, most likely, their adult parents. It's not emotionally deep, but it's a fun ride that offers 90 minutes of escapism. (It's also an improvement over the second film and about on par with the first.)

This third installment is filled with infectious energy. The lovable-yet-maniacal penguins, the pompous King Julian and the adorably cuddly lemur, Mort, are funnier than ever. The characters light up the screen with their zany personalities and one-liners.

The script by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach is top notch. It's a laugh-a-minute extravaganza that will have you humming the "Circus Afro" song all the way home. ("Circus Afro! Circus Afro! Polka dot, polka dot, polka dot Afro!")

Also, the script explores and further develops the romantic lives of Alex, King Julian and the always-cute couple, Melman and Gloria.

The most memorable new character, Dubois, is a joy due to her determined inspector antics. She sniffs animal tracks like a dog, she can jump over any obstacle on her motorbike and she can sing her henchman back to health with the French tune, "Non Je Ne Regrette Rien." Although not necessarily evil at her core, she plays a fantastic foil to the "Madagascar" crew, and she brings a whole new level of awesome to the film.

The animation is breathtaking and worth the price of admission alone. The chase scene in Monte Carlo is zippy and rich in detail. Each shot is individually crafted and it the level of mastery is evident all throughout the picture. The level of invention in the structural and character design is astounding. The circus performance in London is also visually incredible. A plethora of different colors and stunts illuminate the screen over Katy Perry's "Firework." It's quite an experience.

New characters introduced include Vitaly the tiger (Bryan Cranston), Stefano the sea lion (Martin Short) and Gia the jaguar (Jessica Chastain). The film only explores the back story of Vitaly, and it would have been interesting to view how the other two came to be. Vitaly's back story is somewhat of a cliché and the emotional troubles behind the character could have been expanded upon, but this is just a mild complaint.

There isn't really a lot much more to say about "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted." It's full of energy, laughs and superb animation. The characters are uproariously funny and there's something in the picture for everybody. Although it's not as deep as a Pixar film, it's light entertainment and a great conclusion to the "Madagascar" trilogy.